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Irakal
Directed byK. G. George
Written byK. G. George
Produced bySukumaran
Starring
CinematographyVenu
Edited byM. N. Appu
Music byM. B. Sreenivasan
Production
company
M.S. Films
Distributed byGandhimathi Release
Release date
  • 17 September 1985 (1985-09-17)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Irakal (transl. Victims) is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written and directed by K. G. George and produced by Sukumaran. The film stars K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Thilakan, Sukumaran, Ashokan, and Radha.[1][2] It won two Kerala State Film Awards—Second Best Film, and Best Story. Irakal is considered the first dark movie in Malayalam and is regarded as a classic film.[3][4]

Plot

[edit]

A ruthless Syrian Christian rubber baron, Mathews aka Mathukutty, builds an empire through business acumen and greasing palms of cops and labour union leaders. His business includes marijuana and hooch. His son, Koshy, who is the second-in-command in his business and illegal activities, is equally ruthless and violent. His second son, Sunny, is an alcoholic, but a normal guy struggling to get out of his father's stranglehold. He rebels once in a while but is incompetent and lazy to go his own way. Mathukutty's only daughter, Annie, is a nymphomaniac, who has no feelings for her husband Andrews or daughter. Her husband is fed up with her wayward lifestyle. Annie comes to live with her maternal family every month, in the pretense of some fight with her husband, so that she can sleep with Mathukutty's henchman and rubber employee, Unnunni. Mathukutty and Koshy are not aware of Annie's wayward lifestyle and think their son-in-law is unduly suspicious by nature. They mince no words while chastising Annie's husband for being the guilty party in the marriage. Koshy even roughs him up when Andrews refuses to come for a reconciliation meeting.

Mathukkutty's youngest son, Baby, is an engineering student. At college, he fantasises about murder and gushing blood. He shows early signs of antisocial behaviors which manifests itself when ragging a junior (freshman). He strangles a junior student with an electric wire. Baby is suspended from the college and returns home. The junior student is admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. His family gets to know of the incident through a newspaper article and dismisses it as a ragging incident gone bad. Baby always keeps the electric wire in his bag as a memento of the incident. Baby is a marijuana addict and shows no alarming outward symptoms of his mental illness. His uncle, a bishop, senses something wrong with his nephew and cannot get through to him.

Baby observes Annie's affair with Unnunni and decides to murder him. He manages to strangle Ununni to death at the tools shed where Unnunni and Annie meet up. Baby hangs the body to stage a suicide. Upon discovering the body, the family disposes of the body to avoid any police investigation into the unnatural death.

Baby has violent dreams, constantly plays with his father's rifle, and imagines murdering Annie, multiple times, using his electric wire and gun. He likes Nirmala, a village girl from a poor family. Nirmala, a young teenager, keeps him interested and even makes love to him under the shade of coffee shrubs in broad daylight. She loves Baby but is well aware of the caste and class divide between them. Nirmala gets engaged to a local shop owner, Balan. She ends the relationship with Baby. Baby murders Balan by strangling him with his preferred weapon, the electric wire. The murder goes unsolved as Baby removes money from the shop making it look like a robbery gone bad.

Nirmala believes that Baby is behind Balan's death and confronts him when they meet at the river. Baby tries to kill her as well, but Nirmala escapes without knowing his intention. Nirmala's mother fixes her wedding to Raghavan, a rubber tapper and Baby's friend. Baby tries to strangle Raghavan too, but fails in his attempt. Raghavan sees Baby's face when the mask he was wearing comes out and reports it to the police. The cops start searching for Baby, who goes into hiding. While his family tries to find him, he suddenly appears with a revolver. He shoots at Koshy, who confronts him, and his father when he shouts at him to stop. Mathukutty escapes the shot, but Koshy is hit though not fatally. While the scuffle is going on, Baby is shot dead by Mathukkutty, using his rifle. His family, in pursuit of making money, did not realise the animal and danger he was becoming through avoidance of society and them.

Cast

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Analysis

[edit]

The film is an in-depth exploration of the psychology of violence. Its theme in undertones depicted the political conditions of the country during that time including The Emergency. Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi are symbolically presented by Thilakan and Ganesh respectively in the film, though George didn't say it directly.[5] Film critic K. B. Venu noted similarity between the film's story and the Koodathayi Cyanide Murders case. Some consider Irakal as one of the best works of George.[6] Certain critics cite the 2021 film Joji could have taken inspiration from this film with regards to theme.[7]

Awards

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The film won four Kerala State Film Awards for Second Best Film, Second Best Actress for Sreevidya, and Second Best Actor for Thilakan.Best Story for K. G. George.[8] In 2016, George was awarded the Muttathu Varkey Award for writing the screenplay of the film. It was the first time in the history of the prestigious award that a screenplay was chosen to be awarded.[9]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Irakal

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Irakal is a 1985 Malayalam-language psychological thriller film written and directed by K. G. George. The narrative follows Baby, portrayed by K. B. Ganesh Kumar, the entitled youngest son of a wealthy rubber estate owner Mathews (Thilakan), as he spirals into psychopathic violence driven by familial dysfunction, boredom, and unchecked privilege. The film examines the origins of sociopathic behavior through the lens of a patriarchal family microcosm, highlighting how wealth, power hierarchies, class disparities, and exploitative relationships foster criminal impulses without sensationalizing or glorifying the protagonist's actions. It portrays societal tensions, including conflicts with religion, moral values, and institutional freedoms, reflecting post-Emergency Indian family dynamics. Regarded as one of K. G. George's finest works and the inaugural dark film in Malayalam cinema, Irakal earned Kerala State Film Awards for second-best film and best story, influencing subsequent psychological thrillers in the industry.

Production Background

Development and Influences

Irakal was conceived and scripted by director as his first independent , written over approximately two weeks while staying at a location that facilitated focused creation. George drew from real-life characters and the familiar geography and culture of , embedding observations of human behavior into the narrative without relying on formulaic tropes. The film's development reflected broader societal introspection in mid-1980s , particularly portraying the family unit as a microcosm of national structures strained by the authoritarian legacies of the era (1975–1977), during which were suspended and power centralized under . George's approach emphasized an unflinching analysis of sociopathic tendencies and interpersonal violence, rooted in psychological and environmental causation rather than , positioning the work as a restrained exploration of deviance within everyday domesticity. Produced by actor under his banner, Irakal marked a deliberate pivot toward arthouse sensibilities in , diverging from mainstream commercial formulas to prioritize thematic depth and character-driven inquiry over entertainment conventions. This collaboration allowed George full creative control, aligning with his evolving commitment to experimental storytelling that critiqued social norms through intimate, non-exploitative lenses.

Casting and Crew

The lead role of Baby, a troubled young man exhibiting sociopathic tendencies, was enacted by in his film acting debut; Kumar, aged 19 at the time, was the son of producer , who also portrayed the character Sunny Mathews. assumed the supporting role of Matukutty, the authoritarian family patriarch whose presence reinforced the film's exploration of familial power dynamics. Additional key cast members included Ashokan as Raghavan, as Nirmala, and as Annie, with the ensemble selected to convey the insular intensity of a wealthy, dysfunctional . On the technical side, Venu operated the camera, employing a subdued aesthetic that emphasized confined interiors and subtle lighting to mirror the characters' psychological confinement. M. B. Sreenivasan provided the background score, using minimalist orchestration to heighten the underlying tension without overt dramatic flourishes. Editor M. N. Appu handled assembly, ensuring a tight narrative flow that sustained the film's intimate pacing.

Filming and Technical Aspects

The principal filming for Irakal took place in , leveraging regional locales to ground the story in authentic middle-class familial environments amid the state's rubber plantation backdrop. Interior scenes, pivotal to the psychological , were primarily confined to a single four-room house selected by producer , which cinematographer spatially manipulated through strategic framing to simulate a sprawling indicative of the family's . Venu's cinematography adopted a deliberately dark aesthetic at K.G. George's insistence, sharply delineating night from day to heighten atmospheric tension and reflect the characters' internal voids, diverging from brighter commercial norms of 1980s Malayalam cinema. This stylistic restraint favored psychological intimacy via subdued visuals over elaborate setups, enabling a focus on subtle, realism-oriented expressions of familial discord without reliance on overt action sequences. As Sukumaran's inaugural production venture, the shoot emphasized efficient, dialogue-centric methods that constrained visual spectacle, underscoring George's preference for narrative depth and avoidance of melodramatic conventions prevalent in contemporaneous regional films.

Narrative and Themes

Plot Summary

Irakal follows Baby, the pampered youngest son of a wealthy rubber estate owner in , raised in a dominated by patriarchal and entangled in illicit activities. Exposed to his father's tyrannical control and the absence of genuine familial , Baby initially remains a detached observer amid escalating conflicts centered on preservation. Familial pressures, including romantic rejection and simmering inheritance rivalries, catalyze Baby's psychological deterioration, propelling him from passive indulgence to active aggression. He begins manifesting violent tendencies, culminating in murders that arise as direct repercussions of the unchecked dominance exerted by the paternal figure and the corrosive environment of greed. The narrative traces this transformation without imposing moral resolution, emphasizing instead the cyclical entrapment in violence perpetuated by generational family dysfunction and societal complicity in power imbalances.

Psychological and Character Analysis

The protagonist Baby, portrayed by , exhibits traits of sociopathy through calculated acts of violence that escalate from to , reflecting a progression rooted in unchecked entitlement rather than external pathologies. His behaviors include fantasizing about killing vulnerable targets, such as carrying blood-red as a tool, and deriving satisfaction from dominance over others, observable in incidents like expelling peers from through . This manifestation aligns with empirical patterns of in privileged youth, where boredom and lead to predatory actions without remorse, as Baby's self-contained expressions prioritize personal thrill over consequence. The film depicts these as arising from observable human flaws—arrogance fostered by wealth—eschewing romanticized notions of innate disorder by tying them to familial reinforcement of deviance. Baby's aggression appears repressed initially, surfacing as deliberate influenced by an ineffective maternal presence; his , while physically present, remains practically invisible and disengaged, devoted to yet failing to provide emotional counterbalance to patriarchal dominance. This dynamic contributes to a where maternal influence, typically moderating in developmental studies, is absent in practice, allowing unchecked impulses to calcify into . Empirical observations in the show Baby's isolation from nurturing figures exacerbating his detachment, as he navigates a household where emotional bonds are supplanted by . Such causal links highlight how power imbalances distort individual agency, with Baby's deviance emerging not as excused aberration but as a product of unopposed internal drives. The father's authoritarian control, embodied by Mathews (Thilakan), functions as an enabler, modeling exploitation through ruthless estate management and familial command, which normalizes deviance for Baby as the youngest . Mathews' toward workers and indifference to Baby's early aggressions—such as smirking siblings' —create a feedback loop where power equates to , fostering Baby's bloodlust when familial frustrations mount. This reflects causal realism in deviant trajectories: authoritarian structures suppress overt conflict but incubate calculated , with Baby's murders targeting perceived inferiors to reclaim dominance. The portrayal avoids idealizing these traits, grounding them in verifiable dysfunction—troubled upbringing amid wealth—without attributing to unproven disorders, emphasizing personal moral failure amid enabling conditions.

Social and Cultural Commentary

Irakal depicts the joint family as a microcosm of Kerala's post-Emergency social hierarchies, where patriarchal and accumulated perpetuate cycles of exploitation and , underscoring the persistence of feudal structures amid modernization. The film illustrates how the Mathews, a rubber estate owner, embodies ruthless , exploiting workers and resources while maintaining familial dominance through inheritance control, revealing that economic power often shields failings rather than eroding them post-Independence. This portrayal challenges notions of linear progress, as family conflicts over property division expose enduring resentments rooted in unequal power dynamics, not abstract egalitarian ideals. The narrative critiques the lingering effects of the 1975-1977 , during which political suppressions bottled individual grievances, yet emphasizes personal agency in their violent eruption rather than framing characters as passive systemic victims. In the 's Syrian Christian Nasrani context, inheritance disputes fracture the joint family system, highlighting empirical realities of greed and rivalry that predate and outlast state interventions, as brothers vie for control of estates amassed through generational opportunism. Such depictions reject romanticized views of communal harmony, instead grounding social decay in causal chains of unchecked ambition and familial entitlement, where wealth's insulating effects enable impunity across Kerala's transitioning agrarian economy. By focusing on these normalized power structures without advocating reformist narratives, Irakal underscores the incompatibility of patriarchal legacies with modern pretensions, as evidenced in the brothers' feudal exploitation mirroring broader societal shifts from agrarian to post-industrial tensions in 1980s . The film's refusal to attribute familial disintegration solely to external forces prioritizes internal voids, aligning with observations of persistent inheritance-driven animosities in matrilineal-influenced yet patrilineally contested families. This approach highlights causal realism in , where individual choices within hierarchical frameworks drive conflict, unmitigated by post-Emergency promises.

Reception and Impact

Initial Box Office Performance

Irakal, released on December 20, 1985, underperformed commercially at the in , drawing limited theater attendance and minimal gross due to its introspective psychological focus lacking mainstream attractions like songs, high-octane action, or mass-appeal stars. Actor , producing his first film, backed the arthouse project despite the era's preference for formulaic commercial successes, underscoring the financial risks of diverging from audience expectations for escapist entertainment over probing thrillers that dissected familial dysfunction and violence. This initial reception revealed an early divide between elite critical tastes and broader public inclinations toward lighter, conventional narratives.

Critical Reception

Irakal garnered mixed critical responses upon its 1985 release, with praise for its pioneering unflinching portrayal of psychological violence tempered by critiques of its bleak tone and potential to alienate audiences unaccustomed to such intensity in Malayalam cinema. Reviewers noted the film's bold departure from conventional narratives, positioning it as the first overtly dark psychological thriller in the industry, yet its focus on moral depravity and familial corruption was seen by some as excessively grim, contributing to its limited commercial appeal at the time. Cinephiles and later analysts lauded its depth in dissecting the origins of sociopathic behavior, emphasizing the protagonist's idle exposure to inherited as a causal mechanism rather than mere ideological . Retrospective assessments, particularly following director K. G. George's death in 2023, elevated it as one of his finest works—a meticulous, non-exploitative study of violence's psychological roots within patriarchal family dynamics and post-Emergency societal decay. Some dissenting voices, however, questioned whether the narrative overemphasized deterministic familial influences at the expense of broader individual agency, potentially simplifying complex antisocial impulses into a microcosmic of and power structures without sufficient nuance on personal accountability. Despite such reservations, its screenplay's enduring recognition—awarded best original screenplay in 2015—underscores a growing consensus on its technical and thematic rigor.

Awards and Accolades

Irakal garnered accolades primarily through the in 1985, securing the Second Best Film award, which recognized its blend of popular appeal and aesthetic quality amid competition from other regional productions. The film also received the Best Story award for K. G. George's , praising its psychological depth and exploration of violence's roots without resorting to . These honors underscored the film's artistic merits, particularly its innovative narrative structure and character-driven tension, distinguishing it from more conventional of the era. Actor Thilakan's portrayal of the protagonist's father earned him a nomination consideration for the National Film Award for Best Actor that year, though it ultimately went unawarded, reflecting the performance's intensity but falling short in national jury evaluation. The film's regional impact was further evidenced by retrospective screenings, such as those in film s honoring K. G. George's oeuvre, where 's screenplay was highlighted for its enduring influence on psychological thrillers in Indian cinema. No major international awards were conferred, aligning with its primary circulation within Malayalam-speaking audiences.

Legacy and Retrospective Views

Irakal's enduring legacy lies in its influence on subsequent films that explore psychological turmoil within oppressive family structures, most notably the 2021 thriller Joji. Directed by and scripted by , Joji—officially inspired by Shakespeare's —mirrors Irakal in its depiction of a domineering father, a submissive mother, and a marginalized younger son driven to murderous acts amid simmering resentment and isolation. Critics observed these parallels in narrative template, character archetypes, and rural setting, with the protagonist Joji echoing Baby's sociopathic tendencies and familial rebellion, though Pothan and Pushkaran maintained the similarities stem from shared cultural motifs rather than direct adaptation. The film's availability on since around 2020 has elevated it to cult status among cinephiles, fostering online discourse on its unflinching examination of as a product of patriarchal entitlement and emotional repression. Viewers and analysts highlight how Irakal anticipates modern conversations on domestic power imbalances, with Matukutty's ruthless and Baby's retaliatory killings serving as a stark microcosm of societal hierarchies post-Emergency , where wealth insulated abusers from accountability. Retrospective assessments praise Irakal for its causal realism in linking generational trauma to explosive outcomes, without sensationalism, positioning it as a prescient critique of unchecked authority in joint families. While some contemporary reviews note the film's gender portrayals—such as women's peripheral roles in a male-driven cycle of aggression—as artifacts of 1980s Kerala conservatism, they underscore its warnings on power abuses as timeless, resisting retroactive softening through ideological lenses. Director K. G. George's restraint in avoiding exploitative tropes has sustained its relevance, distinguishing it from later works that amplify psychological elements for broader appeal.

Adaptations and Remakes

No official remakes or direct adaptations of Irakal (1985) have been produced as of 2025. The film's psychological depth and unflinching portrayal of familial dysfunction have not translated into licensed derivatives, likely due to its cult status within rather than broad commercial appeal. The 2021 Malayalam film Joji, directed by and written by , draws notable structural and thematic parallels to Irakal, including motifs of , inherited wealth, and isolation amid moral decay. While officially inspired by William Shakespeare's Macbeth, critics and viewers have highlighted Irakal's influence, with shared elements like a reclusive son's violent unraveling in a rural family estate, though Joji incorporates contemporary updates such as smartphone surveillance and pandemic-era seclusion. Pushkaran has acknowledged superficial overlaps in character traits, such as the passive-aggressive demeanor of Irakal's Baby, but maintains the films diverge in intent and execution. Some analyses view Joji as an indirect homage or uncredited remake, amplifying Irakal's critique of patriarchal inheritance through a modern lens. Post-1985 Malayalam thrillers exhibit indirect echoes of Irakal's blueprint, such as introspective antiheroes grappling with inherited trauma in films like Anantaram (1987), but without explicit derivations. The original's niche appeal—rooted in KG George's raw social realism—has constrained overt remakes, prioritizing originality in a market favoring broader suspense narratives over psychological introspection. Future adaptations remain improbable, given the scarcity of high-profile rights pursuits and the film's regional, era-specific resonance.

Comparisons to Literary and Cinematic Sources

Irakal shares thematic affinities with William Shakespeare's Macbeth, particularly in its portrayal of unchecked ambition precipitating a cascade of murders and psychological unraveling, where the protagonist's pursuit of inheritance supplants the play's royal power as the catalyst for moral decay. Analyses highlight how both narratives depict crime's seductive pull, culminating in self-destructive consequences amid familial and societal pressures. Cinematically, the film invites comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971), as both probe violence through protagonists shaped by environmental influences—Baby's by a patriarchal family's criminal undercurrents, Alex's by dystopian societal decay—yet diverge in their rationalization of acts without immediate remorse. In Irakal, such behavior emerges from inherited wealth and within a joint family, contrasting the peer-driven ultraviolence in Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgess's . These parallels underscore Irakal's departure from Western psycho-thrillers' typical focus on individualistic isolation, instead embedding in Kerala's collectivist rural structures, where patriarchal and generational entitlement foster a normalized cycle of depravity over solitary .

References

  1. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/Oct/07/case-evokes-thread-of-psychological-thriller-irakal-2044123.html
  2. https://scroll.in/reel/1056495/start-the-week-with-a-film-kg-georges-irakal-is-a-singular-study-of-a-psycho
  3. http://www.sahapedia.org/kg-george-retrospects-his-life-and-work
  4. https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/10/18/koodathai-serial-murder-case-jolly-malayalam-movie-irakal.html
  5. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/tracking-indian-communities/citizen-cain/
  6. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/the-anatomy-of-kg-george-irakal-exploring-how-patriarchy-wealth-power-crimes-inseparable-8962203/
  7. https://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/malayalam-filmmaker-kg-george-no-more-popular-movies-275a3030
  8. https://bharatgopy.com/filmography/irakal-1985/
  9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214799/fullcredits/
  10. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/306623/cast?language=en-US
  11. https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/17841/malayalam/irakal/cast-and-crew/
  12. http://venukarakkatt.blogspot.com/2010/08/interview-venu-isc-by-k-b-venu-even-as.html
  13. https://letterboxd.com/film/irakal/
  14. https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/joji-and-irakal-alike-theme-different-tone-146901
  15. https://ijels.com/upload_document/issue_files/1IJELS-104202572-Mirror.pdf
  16. http://www.sahapedia.org/when-the-curtain-falls-socio-cultural-facets-of-kg-george%25E2%2580%2599s-filmic-narratives
  17. https://theaidem.com/the-iconography-of-the-nasrani-christian-subjects-in-malayalam-cinema/
  18. https://m.thewire.in/article/film/kg-george-film-maker-tribute
  19. https://indiaartreview.com/stories/k-g-george1946-2023-maestro-cinema/
  20. http://www.sahapedia.org/kg-george-chronicler-of-the-moral-void
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214799/
  22. https://thewire.in/film/kg-george-film-maker-tribute
  23. https://postscriptmalayalam.blogspot.com/2016/03/10-underappreciated-malayalam-films-you.html
  24. https://drummersdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/09/irakal-victims.html
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214799/reviews/
  26. https:///reel/1056495/start-the-week-with-a-film-kg-georges-irakal-is-a-singular-study-of-a-psycho
  27. https://reelspeakin.wordpress.com/2018/06/21/kg-george-and-irakal-in-malayalam-cinema/
  28. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/k-g-george-film-festival-from-tomorrow/articleshow/54932455.cms
  29. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/macbeth-or-raskolnikov/articleshow/81999614.cms
  30. https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2021/04/13/syam-pushkaran-on-joji-movie-comparision-with-irakal.html
  31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_w5RlzY91U
  32. https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/neelathamara-neelavelicham-do-old-malayalam-classics-warrant-remake-177093
  33. https://www.reddit.com/r/MalayalamMovies/comments/1cldym5/movies_like_irakal/
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